When California voters solidly endorsed a statewide initiative to dump bilingual education a few years ago, it was viewed as a resounding victory for those who would favor the adoption of English as the official language of the Golden State. You come to America, you should learn the language, a large block of California voters seemed to be saying.

Many saw the vote as a backlash against the seemingly endless tide of non-English speakers inspiring some to argue that every public document must be readily understood in any of the countless number of tongues that comprise California conversation. Enough, said the voters, was enough.

Yet California employers face another reality. In a state that attracts a never-ending stream of immigrants, many businesses, agencies and organizations must deal with a clientele that has yet to master the local language. The bottom line needs no translation - California has a resounding need for people with multilingual skills.

Oakland's Example

In perhaps the most dramatic illustration of the need for bilingual help, the City of Oakland earlier this year unanimously passed a city ordinance mandating the hiring of bilingual workers - specifically those who can speak Spanish or Chinese.

It was the first city in California to require that bilingual workers be hired for positions involving public contact - such as police, fire, sanitation and recreation. "This is an effort to get everybody to participate in government," explained City Council President Ignacio De La Fuente, an immigrant from Mexico and co-sponsor of the ordinance. "There is no way we can revitalize our neighborhoods without everyone having access to all the services and opportunities we provide."

Indeed, while 22 percent of Oakland's residents are Hispanic, only half that percentage of city workers are. Asians comprise 15 percent of the city's population, but only 8 percent of city employees.

"If we can provide services to the physically handicapped, we should provide services to the language handicapped," reasoned Carl Chan, former president of the Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce.

"I have heard from residents who cannot get police officers to understand their safety concerns, from seniors who are excluded from service at "English only" senior centers, and from neighbors who have kept silent about their frustrations for years because no one at city hall could lend a comprehending ear," wrote Oakland City Councilman Danny Wang in an article in the SF Chronicle. "The ordinance does not require that every city employee be bilingual; it does not set any quota or goal nor any "official language" as detractors have claimed . . . Here's what the law would do: Establish a policy of nondiscrimination and equal access to city services . . .''

Six months later, and a visit to the City of Oakland's official website - Oaklandnet.com - shows the city is true to its word. Countless positions, from patrol officer to librarian, quiz prospective workers about their language abilities. The message is clear: applicants bilingual in Spanish and Chinese will receive preferential treatment in several key positions.

Vietnamese and many other languages may also soon be recognized in Oakland, as the number of immigrants comprising the city's diverse population continues to grow.

Beyond the East Bay

A survey of newspaper classified sections and various online job databases reveals that public, private and particularly nonprofit sectors of the state are eagerly recruiting bilingual talent. A search for bilingual jobs on craigslist.org, the Bay Area's leading virtual community website, netted 175 positions. The jobs listed are as varied as the language skills sought . . . Someone proficient in Japanese is wanted as an executive assistant to a Palo Alto pharmaceutical company . . . a bilingual Medi-Cal outreach coordinator is being sought by the Mission Neighborhood Health Center, which deals with a primarily Latino clientele . . . Allstate is seeking bilingual claims adjusters in South SF . . . Nurses fluent in Cantonese and English are sought by San Francisco's HomeCare & Hospice Department.

If the environment is your cause, you might consider the Marin Conservation Corps, which needs workers to undertake several projects aimed at improving recycling. Bilingual skills are needed to expand dissemination of educational materials in various languages.

Or perhaps you would like to travel. Then you might consider applying for the position of gallery sales representative for a large concern in Spain attempting to crack the Northern California market. "Spanish/English skills a MUST," reads the bulletin.

Another website, bilingual-jobs.com, showed 17 openings in California. This national database has many more positions in other states. The California bilingual vacancies included a director of marketing, a Spanish-speaking copy editor, a Japanese-speaking sales account manager, and a Chinese-speaking secretary for a law office.

So while California's bilingual residents may at times feel alienated by a referendum or two, they can take solace in knowing that their bilingual skills will be warmly welcomed in the workplace.

No matter what the electorate says.